If #Steelers want to save $ AND cap space, it makes more sense to release Woodley than to keep him. Here’s why

Woodley is due an $8 million salary in 2014, when he will count $13,590,000 on their salary cap, according to overthecap.com. He is signed through the 2016 season with salaries (and cap hits) of $8.5 million ($14.09M) in 2015 and $9 million ($11.99M) in 2016.

So, let’s say they would cut Woodley today. They would save all the salaries they owe him, including the $8 million this year. According to the league’s CBA rules, however, all of the pro-rated bonus money that has been spread out over the next three seasons would count this year.

If they cut Woodley today, he would count $14.17 million on their salary cap this year, nearly a wash for what he will count — $13.59 million — if you keep him. But by cutting him now, he is wiped off their books for 2015 and 2016 and for a team that many say is in salary-cap hell, that’s a significant cap savings — a total of $25.5 million (his salaries) in both real money and cap savings over three seasons with none of it counting after this one.

I was surprised to read that Woodley could be cut. That got me to check out his numbers. Woodley is a declining player. He has only totaled 9 sacks in the last 2 seasons. That’s not good for a 3-4 OLB that plays for the Steelers. Woodley is going to be 30 this year so that works against him as well.